The primary goal of your Disaster Recovery Plan will be to get the essential components of your business back to full operation as quickly as possible. For you to have any real chance of accomplishing that goal, you’re going to need to set out in advance all the things you need for those essential components to operate.

Those things, from software applications to computer and networking equipment, from HVAC systems to backup storage drives, are your Business-Critical Systems. The last thing you want to be doing when disaster strikes is trying to remember all those things – from big, obvious items like computers and phones, to the less-obvious yet very-necessary things, like charging cables.

Here’s how to identify your Business-Critical Systems…

Identify Your Revenue-Generating and Essential Business Functions

The first thing you need to do is identify the specific services and operations that your business provides. For this aspect, focus primarily on only the business functions that either generate revenue or that are a necessary component of your business.

Note: Certain businesses have functions, systems, or operations that may not generate revenue themselves, but are a necessary component of the business. For example, in law firms, the system that performs conflict-of-interest checks does not generate revenue, but most law firms are required to perform the checks by their state bar and/or insurance company, so being able to perform that operation is not optional.

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